COLTON – Teens from the four high schools in the Colton Joint Unified School District took a break from math and English on Thursday to be schooled in the workings of the city.

About 45 participated in “Student Government Day,” an annual event the city hosts in partnership with the district.

“We learned a lot of things,” said Slover Mountain High senior Alfred Zuniga, 17. “That their job causes a lot of stress and they don’t always get what they want.”

Mayor Kelly Chastain led Alfred on his tour through City Hall and undoubtedly explained the political squabbles of the City Council.

When Chastain was a student at Colton High, she participated in student government day and shadowed the city treasurer. At the time she would have never imagined she would one day be mayor of her hometown.

“It wasn’t my goal in life at that time,” she said. “I was planning to go to college and major in business administration.”

The day began with students gathering at City Hall in the morning. Two or three were paired with a city department head or an elected official to get a feel of what each one’s day is like working for the city.

Community Development Director David Zamora, who is also an elected official as clerk of the district’s Board of Education, was paired with Colton High senior Anthony Olivar, 17, and Bloomington High junior Jose Franco, 16.

“The mayor and the City Council’s job is to set the policy for the city,” Zamora told them. “It’s the city manager’s and city staff’s job to carry out the policy decisions of the mayor and council.”

Although the city is broken up into a variety of departments, they all work together in one way or another, Zamora explained to the boys.

His department alone, which consists of the planning, business licensing and building divisions, works in conjunction with multiple departments, such as code enforcement, electrical and water everyday, Zamora said.

At 11:30 a.m., students gathered for a lunch at the Gonzales Community Center and talked about what they learned during government day.

“I’m just amazed that one species of fly can stop so much development,” said Andrew Brinker, a 13-year-old sophomore at Colton High and son of San Bernardino City Councilman Tobin Brinker.

Andrew spent his day with City Manager Daryl Parrish and Assistant City Manager Mark Nuaimi, who explained how the endangered Delhi Sands flower-loving fly has so far prevented construction of the much touted Superblock development.

Andrew, who plans to go to law school and work in political campaigns after he graduates, said he would consider a city career as an alternative.